As a member of the Budget Committee in Tiverton, it has come to my attention that one employee is working under, in my estimation, a currently expired agreement signed originally May 7, 2012.

Here are the facts of this agreement. The employee is a clerk in the planner’s office. The planner gave up his position sometime in 2012. The Town Council made an agreement with said employee called an “interim employment agreement” that states, “This process is projected to last no longer than six calendar months from the date of this agreement.”

The agreement goes on to say, “This agreement will automatically and immediately terminate with the hiring of a new town planner, or a decision by the Town Council not to hire a full-time town planner.”

While the position was being advertised and before hiring a planner, the employee carries out the planner duties two days a week for a salary of $260 a day, as well as her clerk duties three days a week.

There were no required stated work hours or product.

Here is where the problem lies. First, the employee as a clerk is in a union. The employee as the planner is not in a union. This employee as a clerk reports to the planner who is her boss — ergo she is her own boss.

The Town Council, even though the Budget Committee provided the funds in the 2012-2013 budget for a planner of $67,600, did not hire a planner. Thus, the employee is working under the same agreement, which appears to have expired six months after signing or November 2012. Where did the $67,600, go you say? Why did they not hire a planner, you say? Why did they laugh at me at a joint Budget Committee and Town Council meeting when I brought this to their attention? The new town administrator was appraised of this and is reluctant to take any action.

These are the kind of things the taxpayers should know about, where our tax dollars are being spent with crazy deals like this. They did discuss this agreement at a few of the Town Council meetings but not the dollar amount she would be getting, ergo no transparency to the public.

The town, after much embarrassment as of late because of questionable employee activities, was able to make a few changes, but there needs to be more attention to details here to prevent any future embarrassments, more accountability where our money is going, more accountability that what is said will be done.

Please remember this when you vote in November. Four of the current councilors were on the previous council that made up this agreement. They were asleep at the wheel obviously. We do not need leadership like this, in my opinion.